Graham Stuart MP: National Citizen Service roll-out costs "hard to justify"

IN A REPORT PUBLISHED TODAY, Thursday 23 June 2011, the House of Commons Education Select Committee warns that extending the National Citizen Service (NCS) to all 600,000 16-year olds could have a price tag in excess of £350 million each year - even if only 50% of young people take part. This would make it more costly than the entirety of youth services currently provided by local authorities.

The NCS launched in February this year and will be available to 11,000 people in 2011 and 30,000 in 2012. The Prime Minister David Cameron has expressed a wish to see all 16 year olds being offered the opportunity to take part. However the Education Select Committee says it "cannot support" the 6-week flagship programme in current form as costs may exceed the entire public spending on youth services.

Local MP Graham Stuart is Chair of the Education Select Committee and had this to say on the report:

"The Government's idea of using the National Citizen Service to inspire young people to engage with their communities, mix socially and build their skills is a good one. However, the pilots are proving to be expensive and full roll-out would be hard to justify when cuts, which the Government itself calls disproportionate, are impacting existing youth services provided by local authorities. The NCS should be adapted so that it accredits existing programmes while introducing a new focus and resources into the sector."

The cost of National Citizen Service in 2011 is around £1,182 per young person. By contrast, the German federal Government spends £1,228 per young person for a whole year's work-based volunteering programme. The Education Select Committee says it does not see how the Government can justify spending the same amount for only six weeks of National Citizen Service.